Starch-Based Ingredients and Functional Foods

Starch is an important alloy in the food industry because it has important functions in this industry that are related to its physicochemical properties. In recent years, starch nanoparticles (SNPs) have been modified to produce nanostructures with improved physical and chemical properties. The current chapter analyzed the functional properties of starch and SNPs, as well as their application to develop functional foods. SNPs possess several beneficial attributes when used as functional ingredients in food. These include excellent water dispensability, high biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, minimal toxicity, small size, and a large specific surface area when compared with native starches. In addition, SNPs offer additional advantages as they resist digestible enzymatic hydrolysis in the upper gastrointestinal tract, particularly by amylase.